Automatic crossing gate



3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 5 1925 MAA . Nov. 17,1925

K 1,562,398 J. v. WHITEHURST AUTOMATIG CROSSING GATE Filed June 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A'rroRNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITEDv STATES JAMES V. WHITEHURST, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATE.

Application filed .Tune 5, 1925.

To @ZZ whom it may] conce/"a:

Bc it known that JAMiis V. lllrirriiiiUiis'r, a citizen of the United States, residi ing at Elizabeth City, in the county of Pasquotank and State of North lai'olina, have invented new and useful improvements in Automatic Crossing' Gates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is the provision oi' a reliably operating, etlicient and durable gate for barring a crossing incident to the passage of a railway train the gate being put into use by a train approaching the crossing and being maintained in active position during the passage of the train, and being then restored to idle state.

To the attainment` of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification z- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention with the gate in position to bara crossing. y

Figure 2 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 oil Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section in the saine plane as Figure 2, but showing the parts positioned -as when the plunger depressed by a passing car wheel.

Figure e is a view like Figure 3 but show.- ing the plunger and the parts associated therewith in normal position.

Figure 5 is a detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 a detail plan view showing a portion of the guard rail and a portion of one depressible lever adjacent thereto.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective of the reflecting signal disk which is preferably, though not necessarily, employed on the gate.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding the drawings.

In Figures 1 to 6, l show a railway rail 1,

and in Figure 1, I show train wheels 2. I also show in Figure 1 a gate 3, ulciumed or pivoted at 4 on a fixed upright 5, the said gate 3 having a weight 6 on one arm andA being equipped adjacent to its other arm, by preference with a reflecting signal disk parts in all of the views of Serial No. 35,139.

7, hung at rl from the gate arm. The said signal disk is preferably painted red or some other distinctive color so as to attract attention, and is provided with a mirror surface 9, Figure 7, so that it will be possessed oit' reflecting capacity, this being particularly desirable in the nighttime when the said mirror` surface will reflect the light from automobile headlights and in that way certainly attract the eye of an approaching motorist.

.'Wliile l prefer for the reason stated to employ the signal disk 7, l do not desire to be understood as confining myself to the said signal diskor any other signal means on the gate inasmuch as said signal disk or any other signal means may be altogether' omitted from the gate without a'li'ecting my invention.

ln furtherance oit my inventiona pit 10 is employed below the suriiace and in about the longitudinal center oi' the crossing, and pits 11 are located at opposite sides of the .crossing and at any suitable distance -trom said sides. 'lhe pit l() is best illustrated in lf`igures 1 and 2, and by reference` to said ,figures it will be understood that levers 12, 13 and lll are mounted in the pit, the lever 12 having a gear sector 15 on one arm and having its other arm connected by a rod 1G with the weighted arm olE the gate 3, and the lever 13 being provided atene end' with a gear sector 17 in mesh with the gear sector l5 of the lever 12. At its opposite end the lever 13 is provided with a gear sector 18 in mesh with a gear sector 19 on one end of the lever 14, the opposite end ot the lever 14 being preferably shaped as designated by 20 in Figure 2. A strong retractile spring Qllis arranged in the pit and connected at one end to one wall of the pit and yat its opposite end tothe outer arm of the lever 14. By virtue of this arrangement it will be ap preciated that depression of the and 2O of the lever 14 will b attended by expansion of the spring 21 and by movement of the gate 3 to the active position shown in Figure 1, while when the said end 20 o' the lever 14 is released. the springl 21 will operate to raise the said end 20ct the lever 1.4i and by rocking said lever 14 will return the gate to its upright idle position.

Located in the pits 11 are reversely arranged levers 21n and reversely arranged cam members 22, the levers 21a being ful.- ci'uined at 23, andthe (am members 22 heilig fulcrumed at 24C. At their upper ends the levers 21 are provided with reduced portions Q5, and the cam members 22 are connected to retractile springs 26. It will also be noticed b y comparison of Figures 1 and 5 that each of the cam members 22 is arrangedalongside the rail 1 and between the rail 1 and a fixed guard rail 27.

Arranged alongside the rail 1 are vertically movable levers 98, the inner ends .of which are opposed as shown, and the outer ends of which are pivoted or fulcrun'ied as designated by 29 in Figures 1 and 6. It will also be noticed that the levers 28 are disposed between the rail 1 and a guard rail 30, rand that the opposed or adjacent ends of the levers 28 are arranged above an appropriately guided plunger 31, Figures 2, 3 and 4. rPhe said plunger 31 is arranged above and adapted to cooperate with a -ver` tically movable lever 3Q, which is yieldingly held by retractile spring 33 against a stop 34. 'I` he said lever 232 is provided atwith a pendent cam protuberance, Figures 2, 3 and 4.

Adjacent to the end of the lever 1li and below the lever is a keeper 36, connected to a retractile spring 37 and having a hookshaped 'head 88 and also having a projection 89.

Passed around a vertical shaft on thej bottom of the pit 10, Fimire 2, are cables il which are interposed between and con-. nected to the outer arm of the lever 1d and the lower arms of the levers 21, the connections'at the levers 21 being preferably effected by retractiie springs e2, designed to take up shock and jar;

In the practical operation of my improvement it will be manifethat a foremost wheel of a train travelin, toward the left in Figure 1 will by acting against the cam member 22 at the right of Figure 1, operate te more the gate 3 from its upright idle position to its horizontal active position. It will also be noted that when a train is movi g on the track toward the right inl Figure 1, a foremost wheel of the train by cof'iperating with the cam member 22 will likewise bring about movement of the gate :2 to the active position shown in Figure 1. Ii either case, the keeper 36 by cooperating end 20 of the lever 14 as shownA in Fi :e 2 will serv to retain the gate 9, in the active position shown in Figure 1. 'lhen as the wheels of the train pass over the levers the plunger 31 will be maintained in depressed state as shown in Figure 3 with the result that the .keeper 36 which is iirst l ed from the end 2O of thelever 1e y the. lever S5 be held out of engagement with said end of the lever 14: and at the same time the said lever 35 will hold the lever lalagainst upward movement under the intluence of the spring 21. The parts just referred to will be maintained in the relative positions indicated so long as the levers 28 are depressed by train wheels passing vover the same. When, however, the last wheel of a train passes over and beyond the levers 28, the lever 32, the plunger 31 and the levers 2S will be raised to normal positions by the spring 33, and the keeper 36 will by its spring 37 be engaged with the end 2() of the lever 14., at which time the gate will be in its upright idle position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that normally the gate 3 will be maintained in idle upright position. When, however, a train approaches the crossing the gate will Vbe moved in the manner described to the horizontal active position, and the gate will Vbe maintained in the latter position until one vof the last wheels of the train passes over and beyond the levers 28, at which time the gate will be restored to its idle upright position.

I have elected to show but'one gate and would have it understood that when deemed expedient only one gate need be employed. It is obvious, however, that two gates may be employed in connection with two sets of mechanism such as described, or that two gates may be employed in conjunction with a single set of mechanism, the gates in the latter case being appropriately connected together so as to move in concert to and from the active position shown in Figure 1.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction constituting ythe preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the embodiment disclosed, my invention being defined by my appended claims within the scope of which structural changes may be made without involving departure from myv invention. For instance when deemed expedient the gate 3 may be provided with a gong, as 43, so that incident to lowering of the gate, the said gong actuated in conventional or any other approved manner, willwarn the occupants of approaching automobiles. Also; thefgate control devices may be located at various distances from the gate.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In an automatic crossing gate, the combination of a movable gate, a lever located at one side of the crossing, a train operated cam member arranged on movement thereof to move the lever, a .train of geared levers, a connection between one of said train of geared levers and the gate for moving said gate to and from active position, a connection between the first-named lever and another of said train of geared levers,

and a spring connected to one of said train of geared levers for assisting in the movement of the gate to idle position.

2. In an automatic crossing gate, the combination ot' a movable gate, a lever located at one side of the crossin a train operated cam member arranged on movement thereof to move the lever, a train of geared levers, a connection between one of said train of geared levers and the gate for inoving said gate to and from active position, a connection between the first-named lever and another of said train of geared levers, and a spring connected to one of said train of geared levers for assisting in the movement of the gate to idle position, with a spring operated keeper for cooperation with the second-mentioned lever of the train of geared levers, a spring operated protuberance bearing lever disposed above said keeper, a plunger disposed above said lever, and train operated levers arranged above said plunger.

3. In an automatic crossing gate, the

combination of a movable gate, a lever located at one side of the crossing, a train operated cam member arranged on movement thereof to move the lever, a train of geared levers, a connection between one ot' said train of geared levers and the gate for moving said gate to and from active position, a connection between the first-named lever and another of said train of geared levers, and a spring connected to one of said train of geared levers for assisting in the movement of the gate to idle position, with a spring operated keeper for cooperation with the second-mentioned lever ot the train ot' geared levers, a spring operated protuberance bearing lever disposed. above saidfkeeper, a plunger disposed above said lever, and train operated levers arranged above said plunger; the said second mentioned lever of the train of geared levers having' a toe for cooperation with the keeper, and the said keeper having a hook-shaped head.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES V, VHITEHURST. 

